


Love, In A New Language

by cecilia (ifasurfer)



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Post-Canon, Romance, Teacher-Student Relationship, Yuri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:14:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27187100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ifasurfer/pseuds/cecilia
Summary: Elincia endeavors to help Leanne learn Beorc language; the two grow closer as a result.
Relationships: Elincia Ridell Crimea/Leanne
Comments: 5
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Speechless](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21859987) by [sempre_balla](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sempre_balla/pseuds/sempre_balla). 



Elincia nodded, offering a small, pleased smile to her student. "Yes, that's correct. When you want to talk about a place you were going to in the past, you say you  _ went _ there." She leaned back in her chair. "You're doing so well, Leanne."

Leanne spoke deliberately, clearly enunciating each word as it left her mouth. "Ah...Thank you, P-Professor."

Elincia gave a start. "O-oh, goodness..." She chuckled as her surprise faded. "'Professor'! Leanne, where did you learn that?"

Leanne beamed. "I...s-saw it in...b-books. Did I use right?"

Elincia clasped her hands together. "You did! And you've been going through the library again! I'm so happy to hear that."

Leanne's face adopted a pinkish hue. "I-I like...it. The books on...the...um..."

"Shelves."

"Mm...The book-shelves." She brushed a stray strand of her golden hair back behind her ear; Elincia felt her heart jump a bit. "There are...so much words. I like to read them."

Elincia gently corrected her student's grammar. "In that sentence, you'd say 'so  _ many _ words', Leanne."

"O-oh...I am sorry."

"It's ok! You should be so proud of how much progress you've made. No one speaks or writes any language perfectly." Leanne's eyes lit up as Elincia spoke, and a smile spread across her lips. "You're already easy to understand, and that's a very big step in learning a language...You've completely surpassed my expectations these past few months. Once you learn some more key words, we'll be able to move into more nuanced topics of learning."

Leanne's expression shifted, and Elincia put a hand over her mouth as she realized her mistake. "Oops! I'm sorry Leanne. Some of those words were a little beyond what we've talked about."

"Um...You were saying, I am...better at speaking now, and...we will learn, um, harder things?"

"Yes! That's almost exactly what I said. You're so smart, Leanne." Elincia put a warm hand on her pupil's shoulder. Leanne blushed again and her eyes darted to the desk in front of them. Elincia continued speaking. "What you just did was use what's called  _ context clues _ . You didn't recognize all the  _ words _ I said, but you figured out the meaning behind them based on what you  _ did _ understand."

Leanne nodded and looked back up at her teacher. "Mm. I do...understand, I think."

"It's a very important skill to have. That's probably how you learned  _ professor _ , right?"

Leanne thought for a moment, her eyes searching the air around them for an answer. "Ah, I-I...Saw it in a book, when a teacher was...speaking. The student spoke to her with that word...like 'sir'. What people called Ike..."

Elincia grinned again. "Exactly. You didn't see the exact  _ definition _ of the word, but you understood how to use it based on how you saw it used. You remember definition, right?"

Leanne nodded. "It's what the words mean."

"That's right." Elincia smiled softly at her student and felt pride well up in her chest. "Can you try to explain context clues back to me? The definition of it."

Leanne looked down at her hands, folded in front of her; Elincia had picked up on this as a common mannerism when she needed time to think about something. "Mm..." She was silent for several moments. "Context clues...is-...are, when you see a word you don't know, but you...know its meaning, because you know the words it's used with."

"Uh huh! That's a great explanation, Leanne." Elincia put her hands over Leanne's, whose face reddened in response. "I'm so proud of you...I told you when we started, the most important thing was to stick with this, to not give up, and that's exactly what you've done." Elincia felt her heart beat a little harder as she fully realized where her hands were, but she kept them firmly over Leanne's. She looked closely into the laguz's eyes as she spoke. "You're not only speaking in full sentences, but your pronunciation has improved remarkably, you're doing your own reading...you've been a wonderful student."

Leanne's face felt hot, like she was standing under the bright Gallian sun. "Th-thank you, Elincia...You are, um, an amazing teacher."

Elincia giggled. "Heehee! You're even getting vowels right now, too. I know how hard that is."

Leanne responded with a small laugh of her own. Elincia thought it was the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard.

Suddenly self-conscious, she removed her hand's from Leanne's. Immediately, she missed their warmth. "I think that's a good end to our lesson for today. Is that alright, Leanne?"

The student nodded. "Mm. I am...hungry. It's time for lunch."

Elincia laughed again. "Yes, I suppose it is! Why don't you head to the mess hall, and I'll join you in a minute?"

Leanne nodded again and stood up. She stretched her arms upward and her wings outward as she yawned. She offered another smile to Elincia. "Thank you, P-Professor."

Elincia beamed back. "Anytime, Leanne."

Leanne left the classroom and Elincia began gathering up the supplies they had used to put them away. But as she cleaned up, she could only focus on one thing: her student's thin, warm, gentle hands. As she absentmindedly slid papers into folders, her mind wandered.  _ They were so soft... _

Elincia gave a start. She cleared her throat to the empty room. "Th-that's enough....What am I doing?"

The queen, her face pink with embarrassment and her heart full of an emotion she did not quite understand, strode quickly out of the classroom and made her way to the dining hall for lunch.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elincia & Leanne continue their studies.

Elincia finished marking what Leanne had written. She turned the paper back to her student, who looked at it closely. 

"You did very well with this exercise, Leanne. Conjugation is really important, and it can be tricky." Elincia smiled as her pupil's eyes ran mechanically down the paper. "But you have an excellent grasp of it."

Leanne smiled back at her. "Can you...What does g- grasp mean?"

"Oh! Well, it can mean a few things...The way I used it, it means how well you understand something, or how skilled you are with a technique. Um - do you know technique?"

Leanne nodded. "Mm. You've said it before."

Elincia smiled. "Heehee. Well, the other meaning of  _ grasp _ is just, grabbing something." She gently reached for Leanne's wrist, wrapped her fingers around it, and held it up. "Right now, I have a firm grasp on your wrist." 

Leanne smiled and nodded. "I...understand. Thank you, Elincia."

Elincia lowered Leanne's wrist and wondered why she suddenly felt excited. She took a deep breath. "Alright, great. Let's continue with the lesson."

The two women spent the better part of an hour writing and talking. During their study time, Leanne was a voracious learner, asking countless questions of Elincia every day. Elincia, meanwhile, was extraordinarily patient, and felt deeply proud of Leanne for being brave enough to always ask about what was on her mind. 

It was towards the end of their allotted time that Leanne suddenly grabbed Elincia's hands with her own and looked into her eyes, a determined look on her face. Elincia nearly jumped out of her seat. "L-Leanne, what is it?"

Leanne gathered herself and let out a deep breath. "Elincia, I was...hoping...I-I was hoping you would help me write...a-a letter to brother. In Beorc."

Elincia let the words wash over her, and then smiled widely. "Oh, Leanne..." The queen's voice was filled with unmistakable warmth. "I would be  _ so  _ honoured to help you write to your brother. And I'm sure Reyson will love what you send him."

Leanne smiled and squeezed Elincia's hands a bit. Elincia felt her heart gallop. "Thank you, t-teacher...Um, let's start writing."

Elincia nodded, her heart filling with pride and another emotion she didn't exactly recognize. "Yes, Leanne, let's."

Several days later, Leanne excitedly tore open an envelope addressed to her. "It just arrived! T-today! In the morning."

Elincia beamed. "I'm so happy he wrote back. Do you want to read it outloud to me?"

Leanne nodded excitedly. "Mm. I want...to share it with you."

Leanne read the letter aloud, carefully pronouncing each word Reyson had written on the brown parchment. As she did so, her beautiful voice lulled Elincia into a trance. Her mind wandered into space until a thought appeared, fully formed:  _ I want to hear her sing again... _ The clarity of the statement shocked her, and she snapped back to attention as Leanne continued reading.

After she had finished, Elincia smiled warmly. "Thank you, Leanne. I'm so happy he appreciated your letter. And he's so proud of you."

Leanne was beaming. "I am...very happy, too. I want to write...another letter to him, soon."

"I'll be happy to help if you want." Elincia paused and felt her heart race a bit as she thought of what to say. "And your reading voice is so beautiful, Leanne. Your pronunciation is so clear...And your tone is so pleasant. It's like the beauty of Serenes was captured in a voice."

Leanne blushed heavily. "O-oh! U-um, thank you." 

The two women smiled at each other and a silence settled over them. Elincia spoke first. "Shall we begin our lesson?"   
"Yes, I'd love to."

After reviewing the planned exercises and finishing up their work, Elincia & Leanne cleaned up the study room together. It was then that Leanne grew silent, gazing out the window at the castle grounds; Elincia felt worry in her heart. "Leanne, is something the matter?"

Leanne turned towards Elincia, her hair catching the sun; the noontime light made her tumbling golden locks glow. Elincia swallowed. Leanne spoke her words softly. "Elincia...I have a question."

Elincia nodded and stepped towards her. "Of course. What is it?"

Leanne spoke like her voice might break. "Um...Can I...call you Ellie?"

"Oh, goodness...Leanne...." The queen put a gentle hand on the younger woman's face. "I'm so touched you'd ask me that..."

Leanne gave a questioning look. "Touched...?"

Elincia briefly paused, and then laughed. "Oh! It's an expression meaning...happy. I'm happy you'd ask me such a question. Very happy!" She stole a moment to look closely into Leanne's eyes, and found herself lost in their deep green hue. "Of course you can call me Ellie...I would love it."

Leanne smiled and placed a hand over Elincia's. "That-- I am happy, too, Ellie." The two women stayed like that a moment; both thought they could hear the other's heart beating heavily. When they broke apart, they smiled and giggled at one another. 

"Well, I think that's enough for our lesson today, Leanne." 

"Mm...I'll see you later, Ellie."

Elincia's heart fluttered, like petals in the breeze. "I'll see you, Leanne."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading!


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leanne offers Elincia a token of her appreciation and a symbol of their bond.

As Elincia & Leanne sat down to begin their daily lesson, Leanne turned to her teacher with an inquisitive look..

"Ellie, I have a question...a-about the lesson...um, yesterday."

"Of course, Leanne. What is it?"

Leanne considered her words. "I...I looked up 'touched'. The definition." She pulled a slip of paper out of her sleeve and read from it. "It said...'of the mind o-or feelings'...'a-affected with...emotion'..." She looked up at Elincia. "You said...calling you Ellie, um, touched you. It...made you happy."

Elincia smiled and nodded. She spoke warmly. "Yes, it made me very happy, Leanne."

"But...touched d-doesn't mean the same as happy."

"You're right, it doesn't." Elincia twirled a loose strand of hair with her fingers as she thought. "Hmm...I said it meant happy because I was feeling happy, when you asked me. Really what it means is..." Elincia was seized by an idea and she picked Leanne's hands up, gently. She held them together in her own, and smiled into the surprised face of her student. "What it means is, you feel full of warmth in your heart." She moved Leanne's hands onto her heart; the younger woman followed them with her eyes, her mouth hanging slightly open. "Someone...says or does something, something happens, and it makes you very emotional, in a nice way. It makes you feel very strong, loving emotions."

Leanne looked back up at Elincia and smiled. "So...when you said you would t-teach me Beorc, I was...touched." 

Elincia smiled back at her, visibly excited. "That's right. And I was so very touched when you asked me."

The two women shared a moment of joyful silence and mutual understanding. Elincia was the first to speak again. "Do you want to get started with our lesson today?"

Leanne nodded. "Mm, I would r-really love to."

Over the next several days the women worked diligently. In particular, Leanne began focusing more on penmanship. Elincia regarded it highly, the heron's gentle hand drawing curls and loops with exacting finesse. Leanne displayed her progress proudly, and explained that the nature of the ancient heron language was such that she had experience writing in long, looping strokes.

One morning, Leanne came in with a surprise for Elincia; an envelope addressed to her at her Castle Crimea address. Elincia chuckled. "For me?" 

Leanne beamed. "Open it!"

Elincia admired the careful, ornate lettering on the front of the envelope, bemused that for the return address Leanne had written the same thing - she was, after all, living at the castle. Carefully, the queen tore open the envelope and pulled out the sheet of paper inside. She unfolded it, and gazed for a moment at the beautiful, elegant handwriting splashed across the page. She could tell that special, high quality ink was used - silver specks glittered in the broad, black strokes on the page. She spoke in reverence. "Leanne, this looks beautiful..."

The writing, she noticed immediately, was not made up of completed sentences. She read the first two lines.

_ A kindness that floods from the heart _

_ And bathes myself in heavenly light _

Elincia stared, almost dumbfounded. She took a moment to process what she was reading. When she spoke, her voice was deathly quiet.

"Leanne, this -- this is a poem....You...you wrote a poem?"

Leanne, watching Elincia in suspense, now smiled wide and nodded excitedly. "For you, Ellie! A poem for y-you."

Immediately, Elincia's eyes shimmered with tears. "Oh, Leanne, I am --...This is beautiful..." She looked up at her and smiled as a tear trailed down her cheek. "I can't imagine a more beautiful gift to receive from a student. Thank you so much, Leanne."

Leanne's face was pink, and she nervously tucked some hair behind her ear. "Th-thank you, Ellie."

Elincia returned her eyes to the page, savouring each line of the poem as she read it.

_ A kindness that floods from the heart _

_ And bathes myself in heavenly light. _

_ Every time I speak _

_ I know you are listening. _

_ Every morning in bed when I awake _

_ I think of seeing you soon _

_ And feel my heart _

_ Sing with joy. _

_ When I dream about you _

_ It is happily; _

_ And when we are together _

_ I hardly notice time is passing. _

_ I could never imagine _

_ A better teacher  _

_ Or friend  _

_ For my life. _

_ For Ellie, _

_ From Leanne _

Elincia felt tears falling from her eyes unabated. She spoke in a whine. "Oh, Leanne." She placed the paper carefully on the desk in front of her and hugged her student, careful to avoid her wings; Leanne returned the affection in kind, holding her arms tight around Elincia.

Her head buried against Leanne's shoulder, Elincia spoke in muffled tones. "That was so beautiful, Leanne...I'm so honoured...I'm so proud of you..."

Leanne held her teacher close and began stroking her silky, emerald hair, something Reyson had done to comfort her long ago. She smiled softly at her teacher's words and pet her silently. 

Once Elincia had separated from Leanne and dried her eyes, she spoke through sniffles. "Leanne, that was such a wonderful gift. I am so  _ touched  _ you'd write me a poem." The two giggled together at the reference. "I will cherish this always. Being your teacher has been such a wonderful part of my life these past few months."

"It has been....w-wonderful, for me as well." Leanne smiled at her teacher. "Do you, um, want to h-hold our lesson for the day?"   
Elincia returned the smile. "Yes, let's."

After working through several assignments, it was time for the women to part. They cleaned up together, and Elincia gazed dreamily at the greenery outside, bathed in warm sunlight.

It was then that Leanne walked up beside her and surprised Elincia with a question she never could've expected. "Um...Ellie..."

"Yes, what is it, Leanne?"

Leanne looked at the ground. "I was....I wanted to a-ask you. Will you visit my...room tonight?"

Elincia felt her heart leap.  _ Her room....I wonder why... _ She tried her best to mask her surprise - and excitement, though she wasn't sure why.

"Why, I would love to, Leanne. I'll come by this evening."

Leanne beamed. "I would like that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading!


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elincia visits Leanne in her room, as arranged, and the two grow ever closer.

After supper and her final court appearance for the day, Elincia found herself agonizing over her visit to Leanne's room. She paced up and down her own, wondering what to wear. She spoke aloud to the empty room in an anguished murmur.

"Normally I'd just change into a dress to go for a walk, or to the library, or to visit someone...but this feels different...." She sighed. "I'm thinking about this far too much...I should just do what I normally do. That will help me be comfortable." 

Once she decided this, she strode confidently over to her wardrobe. She threw open the doors to pick a dress, only to turn around crestfallen when she realized how many options she had to choose from.

Leanne sat in front of the window in her room, looking out into the moonlit night. She drummed her fingers on her crossed legs nervously.

Despite how quiet it was, she nearly leaped in the air when she heard the knock at the door. She stood and turned towards it. "A-ah, um, come in."

Elincia opened the door and slid in with a smile. "Good evening, Leanne."

"Good evening, Ellie." Elincia felt her heart pang at the nickname.

"I like your d-dress." Leanne gazed admiringly at Elincia's dress, a white sundress with frilled ends and a floral pattern splashed across it. The queen blushed and folded her arms across her waist. "O-oh, thank you."

Leanne poured Elincia some tea and the two sat by the window chatting. Every time Leanne giggled, or brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face, Elincia felt her heart leap farther and farther up in her chest. 

After a while, Leanne cleared her throat and set her teacup down. Elincia, grasping the gravity of the situation, looked at her with inquisitive eyes.

"Ellie...I have a question."

Elincia nodded. "What is it?"

Leanne slowly locked eyes with Elincia. Her cheeks grew red. She took a breath and gathered herself. "I would like you...to...to brush my w-wings." She paused. "With...your hands..."

Elincia blushed and her eyes darted to the floor. "O-Oh." She glanced back up at Leanne. "Y-your wings?"

Leanne nodded. "It is a sign of...trust...of...b-being close."

Elincia cleared her throat. "I-I understand...Well Leanne." She paused to choose her next words carefully. "I'm flattered you trust me so much. I'd love to brush your wings."

"F-flattered?"

"Um...Honoured." 

Leanne nodded and smiled. "I understand." She stood up, turned around, and spread her white wings wide. "Please...go ahead."

Elincia was wowed by the full sight of Leanne's wings, something not often seen.  _ They're gorgeous...Like snow-covered plains.... _ She took a few steps forward and looked at them more closely. After some hesitation, she reached out with a trembling hand and touched one of them gently. Leanne shuddered, and Elincia drew her hand back sharply. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, did it hurt? I--"

"N-no, it's fine..." Leanne's face was burning red, though Elincia couldn't see. She held her hands tight to her waist. "I am just...um....s-sensitive...I want you to touch them, Ellie." She glanced behind her with an apologetic look. "Please....go, u-um, ahead."

Elincia reached out again, and this time Leanne's movement was much more subtle. Elincia was stunned by how soft the feathers were.  _ They're like silk....Like her hair.... _ Her face was beet red now, too. 

Leanne quivered as Elincia gently ran her fingers along her wings. The queen was mesmerized, but tried to make sure she was touching them evenly. After several minutes, Leanne turned around, her voice shaking almost as much as she was. "Th-thank you, Ellie. I-I, um...enough..."

Elincia nodded. She looked into Leanne's eyes, losing herself in the deep green pools once more. Leanne stared back, hypnotized herself by Elincia's amber irises. Elincia broke the silence with a whisper. 

"Leanne....there's something I'd like you to do for me, too."

She slowly moved closer to Leanne; Leanne responded in a whisper of her own. "W-What is that?"

Elincia reached up and brushed a lock of Leanne's golden hair back behind her ear, as she had watched her student do so many times. She paused, still gazing into Leanne's emerald eyes, sparkling in the candlelight. "I want you....to kiss me."

There was a short pause. Leanne raised her hand up to Elincia's lips and traced them with a finger. Her eyes darted back and forth between the queen's mouth and her eyes. "I....want to kiss you, Ellie."

The two women leaned close to one another and locked lips. They stayed like that, tongues intertwining, for what felt to both like an eternity. At some point, Leanne folded her wings gently over Elincia's body in her arms; the queen only realized when she noticed a soft warmth enveloping her. The feeling enraptured her heart.  _ This must be...heaven.... _

By the time they separated, the women were out of breath and Leanne felt her legs trembling.

"Ellie...." she breathed. She moved forward suddenly and drew Elincia into another kiss, shorter this time but no less passionate. They separated again and held each other by the arms, staring deeply into one another's eyes.

"Ellie....I..." Leanne struggled to choke out the words. Elincia leaned in and kissed her again. Leanne made a sound of approval as she did so. 

"Nnh...I-I...love you...."

"I love you too, Leanne...." Elincia's voice cracked as tears welled up in her eyes. "I've loved you for...a very long time..." She sniffled. "I...always want to be with you..."

Leanne smiled, a radiant star in the dark night. "I want to be with you f-forever...Ellie...."

Elincia and Leanne spent the rest of the night in each other's arms, sharing kisses and secrets and hopes and dreams. From thereon, they always held their study sessions in each other's rooms, and very frequently went well over their scheduled time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading, i really hope you enjoyed the story!

**Author's Note:**

> an enormous thank you to sempre_balla for their incredible story Speechless (https://archiveofourown.org/works/21859987), which made me immediately fall in love with this ship when i saw it. i had never considered elincia/leanne before seeing that story and it is truly such a wonderful pairing.
> 
> as always, im very gay and thank you for reading.


End file.
